Former soldier beat-up partner three times in a month after rows over a dating app

Swansea Crown Court heard Daniel Golea’s first two assaults initially went unreported because the victim ‘hoped he would change’

A former soldier who assaulted his partner three times in a month after she challenged him about his use of dating apps to meet other women has been jailed.

Swansea Crown Court heard Daniel Golea first attacked his girlfriend on Christmas Eve, punching and headbutting her at her house in the Treboeth area of Swansea, and leaving her bruised and bloody – but she did not report it because she hoped they could make the relationship work.

Dean Pulling, prosecuting, said 41-year-old Golea attacked her again on January 18, again following a drunken row over his online activities. On this occasion he again headbutted her in the face.

The prosecutor said this assault also went unreported because the victim “hoped he would change”.

The third assault happened a week later. It was only after this incident that police were alerted to Golea’s behaviour.

The court heard the couple had been out shopping in Swansea on January 29 when the victim noticed Golea had received notifications on his mobile phone from a dating site called Badoo. Not wanting to make a scene in public the woman waited until they were at home before raising her concerns – the defendant again reacted violently, punching her in the face and causing her nose to bleed.

Following this final assault his victim fled to a neighbour’s house, and the police were called.

The court heard officers found her in an “extremely distressed state”, and she was taken to Morriston Hospital.

The court heard the woman was subsequently diagnosed with a broken nose although it was deemed not possible to say which of three attacks had caused the injury.

Golea, of Pentre Mawr Road, Hafod, Swansea, had been found guilty of three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a trial when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

Craig Davies, for Golea, said his client maintained he had not assaulted his partner and was not responsible for inflicting the injuries.

The advocate said Golea had come to the UK in 2000 after serving in the Romanian army “to make a new life for himself”.

Judge Peter Heywood said alcohol had clearly played a part in the assaults – but that Golea “had no respect” for his partner.

For the Christmas Eve assault Golea was sentenced to two years in prison – half of which he will spend in custody. No separate penalties were imposed for the other two assaults.